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Written by Desmond Ekwueme and first appeared on his Facebook handle
When yours sincerely raised concerns on this page about the goal scoring jinx of Victor Boniface in Super Eagles many came for my head without digesting my piece.
My fear is that the Bayer Leverkusen player should not end up like Paul Onuachu who scored goals as if they were out of fashion in his former club Genk of Belgium but once he puts on the jersey of Nigeria the goals dry up.
I remember praying in that piece that whatsoever is standing between Boniface and his goals in Super Eagles should be divinely destroyed.
We all know the lad has the potential to lead Super Eagles attack but why he can't find the back of net remains a mystery which must be unravelled by anyone who claims to love him. That mystery informed that piece.
Thankfully, Austin Eguavoen has reacted to this issue in his Press parley after the game against Mediterranean Knights of Libya, he noted that even in Kigali against Wasps of Rwanda, Boniface had opportunities he should have buried but was stopped while trying to "dress the ball."
Eguavoen promised to speak with him on this while acknowledging and praising him to be a prolific finisher who has a lot to give to Super Eagles.
Let's just say or believe the solution to Bonigoal's goals jinx in the national team has been found. We hope Eguavoen fulfills his promise by talking to the boy and advising him to hit the ball once he is within scoring range. Some goals are better scored with a strong and simple bang of delivery.
Let's hope the lad accepts this and takes correction. Let's hope from the next game against Libya in Benghazi, Bonigoal will turn on the light. Let's hope that through our collective prayer for him, all forces standing against his goals in Super Eagles will be dismantled and put to shame.
Finally, I want to also advice Eguavoen and his crew to always watch the club games of Super Eagles players to understand how best to use these players. This is vital given that most of them excel in club shirts but struggle in the national team.
Perhaps flexibility is key. In as much as we must work within the capacities of our players collectively, we must try to adopt some features, formations and patterns from their clubs that bring results.
I repeatedly advised in this line of thought in the case of Onuachu who then was the Goals King in Belgium but many think otherwise. Today, he is technically and painfully out of Super Eagles. I pray Boniface doesn't go same way.
